Alexander Graham Bell was awarded U.S. Pat. No. 174,465 for a telephone in 1876. Over the next century, telephones became smaller and easier to operate. Cellular phones originated in 1947, when researchers looked at crude mobile (car) phones and realized that by using small cells (range of service area) and reusing frequencies they could increase the traffic capacity of mobile phones. By 1987, cellular telephone subscribers exceeded one million. Personal Communication Services (PCS) differ from cellular in that they use a different radio frequency and generally use all-digital technology for transmission and reception. Portable communications devices continue to improve.
Notwithstanding these improvements, however, the most popular portable telephones have several drawbacks, especially if the user is using the device while conducting other activities. For example, using a cellular phone when operating a motor vehicle can be dangerously distracting. Most cellular phones require one hand of the user to hold the phone close to the user's face and ear. Further, when dialing the number or answering the phone, the user must use his or her sight to identify specific buttons to be pressed to answer or place the call, whichever the case may be.
Furthermore, modern telephones have become sufficiently portable that “multi-tasking” while talking on the phone has become desirable and commonplace. Various activities can be conducted while talking on the phone, such as cooking, cleaning, driving, walking the dog and sports activities, to name just a few. However, having to hold the phone hinders most of these activities. Further, it is desirable to increase the number and type of activities that can be easily accomplished while talking on the phone.
It is known in the art to provide a wrist carried telephone that is operable without removal from the user's wrist and examples of the same are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,414 (Alameh et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,253 (Charlier et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,149 (Weatherill). These patents also disclose ear pieces that are worn by the user to obviate the need to hold the handset next to one's head. U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,873 (Itakura et al.) discloses a wristwatch-type communication device suitable for use in a radio paging receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,184 (Fernandez-Martinez) discloses a bracelet telephone that includes a terminal mounted to a bracelet. A ring shaped part couples to one finger of the user and supports an earphone connected by an electric cable. U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,757 (Carroll et al.) discloses a wristwatch-type device with a retractable earbud and a microphone.
One disadvantage of the devices disclosed above is that the earpiece may become lost or broken, thereby requiring the user to replace the entire device. Such an approach is undesirably expensive and wasteful if the base unit is still operable. Another disadvantage of the above-noted devices is that their keypads are often too small for average sized fingers to operate efficiently and are arranged in an awkward location on the devices. The above-described devices also suffer from the drawback that they are not entirely “hands-free.” For example, many of the ear pieces disclosed above must be wired to the main unit. The connecting wires may become tangled or interfere with the user's movement.
Many modern cellular or portable phones are now configured with headsets. The advantage of these headsets, of course, is that they free up the user's hands to accomplish other tasks. While practical, however, these headsets are perceived by many users as unsightly, and many users feel awkward or even foolish when wearing them in public.
It is desirable to have an improved portable communications device that overcomes all of the drawbacks noted above.